Image Consultant helps techies
By Nina Mukherji

Sama Adil is an Image Consultant who works with individuals and Tech majors in Bangalore offering counselling and assistance in image enhancement. She firmly believes that individuals can make a strong impact on others through their appearance and attitude. Techgoss chatted with Sama about how this works and its bearing on levels of confidence and wellbeing in an individual.

Techgoss (TG): Why is this important? Why should someone pay so much of attention to image and appearance?
Sama Adil (SA): How you look and carry yourself is the first thing that anyone will notice about you.  When applying for a job you spend a lot of time preparing your resume, and sometimes even take professional help.  Similarly whether it’s a job interview or any other meeting it is important to dress appropriately and make an effort to look presentable. Now no one is saying spend hours in front of the mirror or at beauty salons. But it is important to be aware of the kind of image that you are projecting to the world. The truth is that everyone loves a pleasing face and a well turned out person. And why not? But more importantly taking care of your physical appearance will help you deal better and more confidently in any situation. And it is this feeling of inner confidence and wellbeing that is more important than anything else.

TG: Which are the companies that you have conducted sessions for? What is the batch size and duration generally?
SA: I’ve conducted sessions for employees of Oracle, 3rd-i and IBM.  Have also worked with some small groups from Accenture and Cisco.

Batch size varies from 8 to 30 people depending on various factors. Durations again vary.  A single session could be for just 2 -3 hours or in some cases go up to day long workshops.    

TG: Please run us through the schedule of a typical workshop?
SA: Ok. Let’s take Power Dressing as an example. A typical session on Power Dressing would begin with the importance of a first impression, the importance of image and dressing well at the workplace, then move on to how one loses credibility at the work place - because of poor dressing choices or inappropriate dressing. Finally we would discuss and come up with solutions on how men and women can easily create a lasting positive impression with their clothes, accessories and body language.
 

TG: Corporate dressing tends to be a bit staid. So what can one do to make it more interesting?
SA: Most of my clients feel that corporate dressing is ‘plain boring’ but I seriously could not disagree more. There is so much that people can do with their clothes but for that they need to start thinking differently about clothes and start enjoying the experience of dressing. Think about the colours, the fabrics, the accessories they wear, fashion trends, be aware of their own bodies. And honestly the possibilities are just endless and amazing. And of course I can definitely help them change the way they feel.

TG: Do you think its ok to wear accessories to work? What kind?
SA: It is definitely OK to wear accessories. In fact I would say it is essential for both men and women. Accessories make or break your overall look. Pearls or beads, a good pair of shoes, a scarf - all work well for women if they want to create a good first impression. For men on the other hand a smart watch, cuff-links, good shoes, and tie-pins, go a long way to add that extra ‘wow’ factor to the professional image.  

Some quick tips for professionals at the workplace

1. Be well groomed for maximum impact. No un-kempt or unruly hair.
2. Take care of your hair, hands, nails and face.
3. Wear ironed and well fitted clothes.
4.  Invest in a good quality leather brief case/handbag, watch, cuff-links for that right image.
5. No body odour please. Maintaining good personal hygiene is key
6. Flashy, bright colours for men, clingy, transparent clothes, low-neck lines for women just do not work if you want to be taken seriously at the work place.